We all have a role to play - the President, Congress, parents, students and schools - in making college affordable and keeping the middle class dream alive.

What you see around the world is that poverty is not destiny. In other countries, much more systemically, student after student, school after school, year after year, educate poor and disadvantaged young people. And, so, anyone who says that you can't overcome these battles is a huge part of the problem.

I think every student needs access to technology, and I think technology can be a hugely important vehicle to help level the playing field.

There's so much that we're doing wrong today. And studies show we're one of three countries that doesn't invest more in disadvantaged communities.

A postsecondary education is the ticket to economic success in America.

If the goal is to dramatically improve college completion rates, not college-going rates by itself but college completion, it's not just a college problem. We need a big focus on early childhood education. Our early childhood education system is pretty good in this country. Not enough students have opportunity. And, very discouragingly, they lose their advantage because they go to poor schools after that. So, let's focus on our babies.

States should not balance their budgets on the backs of students.